Sheryl Crow talks about her new album that almost didn't happen and how she met Olivia Rodrigo

In 2019, Sheryl Crow said that her album Threads — a series of collaborations with artist friends like Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt and Neil Young, among others — would be her last. Five years later, Crowe proved her statement wrong by breaking free Development at the end of March, and she came to Billboard News to discuss how it unfolded, as well as her career journey thus far.

“I keep saying this isn't an album – it's more of a playlist of new Sheryl Crow songs,” Crow says of Development, which was produced by her longtime boyfriend Mike Elizondo. “It feels like an emotional take as opposed to a curated album.”

That shot was largely prompted, Crowe reveals, by a decision she made in recent years to “really explore what it meant to redirect my impulses,” which she attempted to do through a curated psilocybin trip. “For me, nature is the only place where I was able to hear myself. And it felt like I was digging in the dirt. Like those old science videos where you see the ants digging,” he says.

This experience led her to keep thinking about a favorite Peter Gabriel song, “Digging in the Dirt,” which she told Elizondo about. They recorded a cover, sent it to Gabriel, and he liked it — so much so that he sent it back to Crowe with his own voice added. “It's just crazy. I'm a big believer in manifestation, but I don't know that I could have manifested that in a thousand years,” Crowe marvels.

Development is, surprisingly, Crow's 12th studio album, but her catalog hasn't waned in relevance, as evidenced by the growing number of young female artists covering hits like “Strong Enough” and “If It Makes You Happy.” This group includes Olivia Rodrigo, who Crow reveals he met for the first time Advertising sign2022 Women in Music event, where Crow presented the Woman of the Year honor to Rodrigo.

“I listen to her stuff and I'm like, 'Oh my god, I can hear the Breeders, I hear Blondie' — she has this punk rock thing that I haven't heard in a long time, but then she has great lyrics and exceptional hook,” says Crowe. “And then I met her and she got into the business … but I loved how down-to-earth she was. The subject of fame was not her main attraction. She just keeps writing her truth, she has the experience to back everything up in her songs. I just support her.”

To hear what else Crowe had to say, check out the link above.